In downtown Toronto, there are 7,500 restaurants spread across 140+ neighborhoods. Shockingly, the total value of wasted or lost food in Canada amounts to a staggering $49 billion. A report by Second Harvest reveals that if this food was saved, it could provide nourishment for every Canadian for a period of five months. The annual cost of wasted food in Canada stands at $1,766 per household. Sadly, hunger and malnutrition are not limited to Canada alone but are pervasive worldwide. In fact, global hunger, which had been decreasing steadily for ten years, has experienced a resurgence, affecting nearly 10% of the global population. Between 2019 and 2022, the number of undernourished individuals grew by approximately 150 million due to conflicts, climate change, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Even in Canada, a University of Toronto study reports that nearly 6 million people faced food insecurity in 2021. Homelessness and hunger are growing concerns among Canadians, particularly in Toronto. What if we could divert all the food that restaurants discard as waste and leftovers from landfills and garbage dumps and instead use it to feed people in need? Therefore, this lead us to come up with the idea of Ride4Food.
This innovative platform aims to connect restaurants with surplus or leftover food to individuals who are commuting and willing to help deliver this food to those in need, particularly homeless individuals. "ride4food" provides a platform that enables restaurants to redirect their excess or leftover food for donation. Through our platform, individual commuters who are already traveling within the city can opt to pick up these food donations from the participating restaurants and ensure their safe delivery to homeless individuals or community centers that cater to those in need. By harnessing the power of community and utilizing existing transportation routes, we aim to minimize food waste and provide nourishment to those who would otherwise go hungry. Participating in "ride4food" allows restaurants to reduce food waste while promoting social responsibility. Additionally, the app features a point system where restaurants collaborating in donations to help the needy earn recognition on Google Maps, along with positive reviews and points. This initiative empowers restaurants to create a meaningful impact on the community by addressing hunger and homelessness sustainably.
To bring Ride4Food to life, we utilized a powerful tech stack comprising JavaScript and Node.js as the primary programming languages. Leveraging the flexibility and versatility of these technologies, we seamlessly integrated the Cohere API to enrich the platform with accurate and comprehensive food details, ensuring that users have access to relevant information about available donations.
For seamless user authentication and management, we implemented MongoDB as our database solution. This robust database system allowed us to securely store and handle user login credentials, ensuring a smooth and reliable user experience.
In addition to user management, Ride4Food incorporates the functionality of Google Maps API. By integrating Google Maps, we provided users with an intuitive interface that displays their daily commute routes and identifies nearby restaurants willing to donate surplus food. This integration optimizes the process of connecting food donors with those in need, reducing food waste, and fostering community engagement.
Through the skillful utilization of JavaScript, Node.js, the Cohere API for food details, MongoDB for user management, and Google Maps for location-based functionality, Ride4Food has emerged as a robust and user-centric platform. By leveraging these technologies, we strive to revolutionize the management and redistribution of surplus food, promoting compassion, fighting hunger, and creating a positive impact on the lives of individuals and communities.
During the development process, we encountered challenges related to integrating maps functionality into Ride4Food. Initially, we explored options such as Bing Maps and Azure Maps. However, we found that the documentation and resources available for these platforms were limited, making it challenging to understand and implement the desired features effectively.
To overcome this hurdle and ensure a seamless user experience, we made the decision to switch to Google Maps. Google Maps provided us with a robust and well-documented API, offering extensive resources and support. This allowed us to integrate the desired functionality smoothly and efficiently, enhancing the platform's usability and delivering a superior experience to our users.
By adapting to this change and leveraging the comprehensive documentation and support provided by Google Maps, we were able to overcome the challenges we initially faced and create a seamless mapping experience within Ride4Food.
We're proud of all the functionalities within our program. One significant accomplishment is the successful utilization of MongoDB hosted on the Microsoft cloud platform. By leveraging the power and scalability of MongoDB, we were able to implement a robust and efficient database solution, ensuring seamless storage and management of user data for Ride4Food.
Additionally, we successfully integrated Next.js, a popular React framework, and hosted it on Vercel. Next.js allowed us to develop a performant and highly responsive user interface, providing a seamless and enjoyable experience for Ride4Food users. By leveraging Vercel's hosting capabilities, we ensured the platform's stability and scalability, enabling smooth access for users across various devices and locations.
These accomplishments are a testament to our team's technical expertise and dedication to delivering a high-quality product. By leveraging MongoDB, Microsoft cloud, Next.js, and Vercel, we have created a reliable and user-friendly platform in Ride4Food, empowering users to make a positive impact in the fight against hunger and food waste.
Through our research and development process, we gained valuable insights and deepened our understanding of the pressing issues surrounding food waste and the prevalence of people in need. This eye-opening experience highlighted the urgency and importance of addressing these challenges through innovative solutions like Ride4Food.
Furthermore, as we strived to tackle these issues, we acquired valuable knowledge and hands-on experience in implementing MongoDB, the database solution that efficiently manages user data and contributes to the seamless functioning of Ride4Food. Additionally, our exploration of the Cohere API expanded our capabilities in integrating external APIs to enhance the platform's functionality and provide users with comprehensive food details.
Overall, our journey with Ride4Food has not only heightened our awareness of the magnitude of food waste and the need for meaningful interventions but has also enriched our technical skills in implementing MongoDB, leveraging APIs, and building impactful solutions. We are now better equipped to tackle similar challenges in the future and make a positive difference in addressing food waste and hunger.
The future of Ride4Food is full of potential and growth. Our next step involves exploring strategic partnerships, including potential collaborations with UberEats. Such partnerships would enable us to expand our reach and impact, leveraging their existing delivery network and resources to further develop our platform.
In addition to addressing hunger and homelessness, Ride4Food plays a crucial role in reducing food waste, which has significant environmental implications. By diverting surplus food from restaurants to those in need, we minimize the amount of food that ends up in landfills, where it produces harmful greenhouse gases and contributes to climate change.
Furthermore, Ride4Food's commitment to reducing food waste aligns with the broader sustainability goals of our society. By preventing food waste, we conserve natural resources such as water, energy, and land that are otherwise expended in the production, processing, and transportation of wasted food.
Through our platform's innovative approach, we strive to make a positive impact on both societal and environmental fronts. By forming partnerships, implementing incentives, and fostering continued innovation, Ride4Food aims to eliminate hunger, combat food waste, and contribute to a more sustainable and resilient future for all.